by Victoria Scott
From the clubs worldwide, tennis professionals, participating members, and court tennis enthusiasts, this past International Tennis Day looked to be the best year yet!! The courts and players were buzzing; the tournaments were intense—some were entertaining, celebratory, and comical, and others were dubbing the New England champion.
This day is a wonderful way to celebrate our sport, commemorate our extraordinary community, grow the game, educate, and promote it to all racquet sport lovers who have fallen in love with the game or those who could be converted.
The annual celebration of our game of real tennis (as I learned from the Royal Melbourne Club) happens on June 20 every year because it falls on the anniversary of the Tennis Court Oath in 1789, which was established as a pivotal event at the start of the French Revolution.
Let’s dive into some of the highlights!
A group of American tennis players representing Aiken, Chicago, New York, Philadelphia, and Washington, took International Tennis Day to a new level last month.
They first visited the Versailles court, where ITD originated, on June 20, 1789. The doors were locked (despite it being during opening hours), and only the timely intervention of Thierry Bernard-Tambour enabled the group to get inside and avoid disappointment.
On Tuesday, June 20, the tenth anniversary of the founding of ITD, a merry band of Americans left London to play on as many courts as possible in the Thames River Valley in one day. Stretching from 6:30 am at Hampton Court Palace and ending at 9:30 pm at Oxford, the group played on seven courts: Hampton Court, Holyport, Wellington, Oratory, Hardwick, Radley, and Oxford.
Jim Zug, who was on this incredible trip, shared, “It was a fantastic day. We could see old friends, including long chats in the dedans with many professionals. We met new friends who were playing before or after our matches. Rob Fahey gave a brief lesson at Oratory; Adam Player got on the court at Wellington. At Hardwick, a few strolled down to the Thames, where birds flitted about in the late afternoon. And the evening ended with the sun setting on the dreaming spires of Oxford as the group left Merton.”
The Aiken Tennis Club, Westwood Country Club, and Racquet Club of Philadelphia:
The Racquet Club of Philadelphia had an incredibly entertaining “Cramped Odds” tournament where each team and player had to pick a specific handicap out of a chalice. Some were difficult (Dick Tanfield couldn’t hit the tambour the entire match), some were easy (I picked the “win every 40-all game”), and some were hilarious (Baird Standish had to sing God Bless America after every point). Our pros at RCOP were busy all day, with the courts filled every hour, and we had a clinic with juniors (6 of them from SquashSmarts). The following night we had a Real Tennis-themed Happy Hour with all members invited and encouraged to wear tennis-themed attire to celebrate ITD.
The Aiken Tennis Club kicked off ITD on Australian time in honor of their coach, Nicky Howell’s Australian birthright, by turning Monday Night League into an Aussie Fest. Celebrations included dressing as a favorite Australian tennis player, past or present, Snags on the Barbie, and plenty of Australian beer and wine.
Westwood competed in a friendly tournament with a potluck dinner with dishes from every country they played for (France, England, Australia, USA). France came out on top! Loved the costumes.
International Tennis Day in Paris:
The Parisians had a unique approach; they experimented with precision targeting. As someone who hits targets purely by accident or luck, I can only imagine how difficult this was! Five targets and players of all ages had a target competition. They said they found it harder than expected but more enjoyable when the objects were placed in diverse places around the court.
International Tennis Day in Fontainebleau:
Two dozen members of Fontainebleau, led by Thierry Bernhard-Tambour, went to the original Tennis Court Oath court at Versailles. They benefited from a personalized tour provided by a Versailles curator.
Lea Van Der Zwalmen and Bordeaux celebrated International Tennis Day by doing a continuous play challenge:
They conquered the court for ITD with 24 hours of uninterrupted matches. The nighttime phase started after a nice BBQ dinner at the club—some players recharged on the sofas. Senior players, newcomers, and experienced players participated with beer on tap in foamy mode. Congrats on completing the challenge, Bordeaux!
Tony Hollins and the entire Newport vs. Boston crew competed for New England Court Tennis Supremacy:
The Patriot Cup is the battle for New England court tennis supremacy, with Boston and Newport facing off in an on-court showdown. This year’s edition saw the lighthearted rivalry take place on June 20 to celebrate International Tennis Day.
After seven matches, the score was 4-3 in favor of Newport. Knowing that it was possible to tie 4-4 at the close of play, they predetermined that the tiebreaker would be ‘games won’ in this scenario. As the players took to the court, the total game count was 38 to 37, again in favor of Newport. Any victory for Newport sealed the day; a triumph of 8 games to 6 or better for Boston would snatch away the trophy.
The drama-filled match saw Keith Mayes and Brad Dellenbaugh 7-6 down, with the 40-all game ball (no-deuce). Sadly, the Boston players played a solid point to grab the win, making the final match count 4-4 and the tiebreaking game count 45-44 in Boston’s favor.
Tony Hollins shared, “Although we couldn’t win the day, the match was played in great spirits and summed up what makes the court tennis community so special. The players from both sides enjoyed a post-match dinner, in which we changed the topic of conversation any time the day’s result was raised.”
The International Tennis Day Committee would like to thank everyone who participated in celebrating and promoting International Tennis Day this year.
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Aiken Tennis Club
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National Tennis Club
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National Tennis Club
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Racquet Club of Philadelphia
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Racquet & Tennis Club
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Versailles
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Westwood Country Club
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Westwood Country Club
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Bordeaux
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Bordeaux
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Bordeaux
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Bordeaux
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Paris
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Australia
